Longueuil bus drivers could go on strike Tuesday

Longueuil bus drivers voted almost unanimously for a strike mandate. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press)

The union representing Longueuil bus drivers and management were in conciliation Thursday, hoping to avoid a strike planned for three days as of Tuesday on Montreal’s South Shore.

Other meetings are planned between now and then, if necessary, between the Réseau de transport de Longueuil (RTL) and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), affiliated with the FTQ, which represents the 714 bus drivers.

The Administrative Labour Tribunal heard the two parties on Wednesday to determine which essential services will need to be maintained if the strike goes ahead.

The Tribunal’s decision will be handed down shortly. Its role is to ensure that the health or safety of the public is not endangered by a labour dispute.

Union members voted almost unanimously, at 99.03 per cent, in favour of a mandate for pressure tactics that could include a strike.

The drivers’ collective agreement expired on Dec. 31. About 40 bargaining meetings have been held between the parties.

Union president Marc Gingras said last week that several clauses had been settled in the negotiations, but that there was still a “deadlock” on the issue of wages with the RTL.

“We refuse to make concessions that would impoverish our members and reduce their purchasing power,” he said.

When asked to comment on this aspect of the wage dispute, RTL management declined to comment.

“We will not comment on this issue in order to respect the ongoing negotiation process,” they said.

The RTL is the third-largest public transit company in Quebec.

It operates 152 bus routes in Longueuil, including the boroughs of Saint-Hubert and Greenfield Park, as well as Boucherville, Brossard, Saint-Lambert, and Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French Sept. 3, 2025.

Lia Lévesque, The Canadian Press